Mason&#39;s guide



A. R. SENKO MASON'S GUIDE Oct. 20, 1964 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Aug. 31, 1962 Oct. 20, 1964 4A. R. SENKO 3, 3,

MASON'S GUIDE Filed Aug. 31, 1962 3 She ets-Sheet FIG. 3

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MASON'S GUIDE Filed Aug. 31, 1962 a Sheets-Sheet 3 IN VEN TOR.

andr'ew 1Q. Sen/ 0 5% 2g WY aiiys United States Patent 3,153,285 MASONS GUKDE Andrew R. Senlro, i418 S. Wasson St, Streator, Ill. Filed Aug. 31, 1962, Ser. No. 229,756 4 Claims. (Kit. 33-85) This invention relates to a masons guide and particularly to a device for maintaining corners plumb and courses level in bricklaying or other masonry work.

Masonry structures are frequently double walled structures having an inner wall constructed as a frame structure or made of cement block or of other material, such as poured concrete, which is clad by an outer wall of brick or stone or other masonry material. The walls must be constructed with their corners substantially vertical or plumb, with each course of brick or masonry substantially horizontal or level, and with a consistent spacing between them. During such double-wall construction, masons or bricklayers ordinarily employ a plumb bob to determine the verticalness of each course of brick, and employ a level to maintain each course of brick in horizontal alignment.

It is an object of this invention to provide a device that acts as a guide to produce plumb or vertical corners in masonry construction.

It is another object or" this invention to provide a device which acts as a guide in laying each course horizontal.

It is still another object of this invention to provide a device for maintaining uniform spacing between inner and outer walls in a masonry structure.

These and other objects are accomplished by the device of this invention which includes Wall-engaging elements that are preferably provided with diverging legs that define a 90 V-shaped notch held securely to a connecting element which is vertical in normal use. One of the V-shaped wall-engaging elements and a guide element are secured to the connecting element and are normally horizontal and parallel when the connecting element is in its normal position of use. The connecting element preferably contains an extendible telescoping portion which connects to another Wall-engaging element by a horizontal extension of adjustable length. Therefore, the distance between one wall-engaging element and the guide element is fixed and the distance between the two Wall-engaging elements is variable. The second wallengaging element, which is the upper element in normal use, extends horizontally from the vertical extendible element by means of a second extendible element so that its position, with regard to how far it extends horizontally from the connecting element, is variable, while the other wall-engaging element and the guide element are of fixed and predetermined length.

The lower Wall-engaging element and the guide element, besides extending a fixed distance from the connecting element and being a fixed distance from each other, are placed so that the V-shaped portions exactly superimpose each other; that is, if an imaginary line were drawn through the vertices of the Vs of each of the lower elements, that line would be parallel to the axis of the connecting element.

The guide element has extending from it in the direction toward the other fixed wall-engaging element, which in normal use is the lower one, an adjustable course'height guide. The guide element also has cord-engaging means on the other or upper surface thereof. The cord engaging means, in the disclosed structure, are three pulleys arranged in a triangular pattern with one between the vertex of the V and the connecting element and the other two placed one on each leg segment so that each edge of the V has a pulley periphery adjacent one edge of the V.

The V-shaped notches in the wall-engaging and guide ice elements have angles of so that they can contact both sides of a brick, stone, cement block, etc. and center the apex of the V at the corner. Although the cord-engaging means are preferably pulleys, they may be polished pulleylike elements through which a cord easily slides with low friction.

From the following description, it will be seen that the device as hereinabove described has three reference points in the form of the vertices of the three V-shaped notches. The guiding function is provided because at all times two of these three reference points engage walls and position the third reference point to locate the position where the next brick or other piece of masonry is to be placed. Other elements locate the height to which the next brick is to be placed and provide a vertical reference for the entire course. By using the device of this invention, after a few simple initial adjustments are made, a mason may work without a level or plumb bob, because the device of this invention establishes horizontal and vertical reference pointsfor a course of masonry and automatically produces the reference points for the next course when moved up to the course previously laid. Furthermore, the device of this invention need not be connected to the wall in the sense that some positive mechanical linkage is required in that its elements hold it fixed with a selfadjusting force providing means so that no matter how force is applied, it will be distributed evenly among the various elements and exerted in the right direction to hold the device in place.

This invention can be best described by reference to the accompanying drawings which illustrate one device embodying it.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is an elevation view partly in section of one embodiment of this invention;

FIG. 2 is a sectional plan view of the embodiment of FIG. 1 taken along the line 22 in the direction of the arrow heads;

FIG. 3 is a sectional plan view of the embodiment of FIG. 1 taken along the line 33 in the direction of the arrow heads;

FIG. 4 is a top view of the embodiment of FIG. 1; and

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the device of this invention as used in constructing a brick wall.

In FIG. 1 a device embodying this invention is illustrated. The masons guide herein illustrated includes an element generally designated as 10 which consists of a relatively large diameter and relatively rigid lower tubu lar connecting element 11 and a relatively small diameter extendible upper tubular element 12 that telescopes within element 11. A threaded locking means 13 is provided through the side of element 11 to lock upper element 12 in any desired position.

A lower wall-engaging element 15 is fixed to the bottom of tubular connecting element 11 and it extends perpendicular to the axis of tubular connecting element 11. A guide element 16 is also fixed to element 11 and it too extends perpendicular to the axis of tubular element 11. Elements 15 and 16 are therefore parallel to each other and a fixed distance apart. These elements, as best shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, terminate in diverging legs that form V-shaped notches. The V in the lower element is formed by the intersection of edges 17 and 18 at a vertex 19, and the V in the guide element is formed by the intersection of the edges 29 and 21 at the vertex 22. These Vs are positioned to superimpose each other so that an imaginary line through vertices 19 and 22 is parallel to the axis of tubular element 11.

An upper wall-engaging element 23 also terminates in diverging legs that form a 90 V-shaped notch by the aneaase intersection of edges 25 and 26 at a vertex 27. The upper wall-engaging element is connected to a tubular element 28 that surrounds and telescopically engages a tubular element 30 which is of smaller diameter than element 28 and which extends perpendicularly from the upper tubular element 12. A threaded locking means 31 extends through element 28 so that the relative positions of elements 3% and 28 may be adjusted and fixed.

As best shown in FIG. 2, the guide element 16 has on its upperface three pulley-like members 32, 33 and 35. The pulleys 32 and 33 are positioned on element 16 so that their peripheries are adjacent to edges 2i) and 21, respectively, and pulley 35 is positioned between vertex 22 and the vertical element 16. In use, a strong cord 35, or other suitable flexible chalk line means, is strung around the three pulleys so that it engages portions of the peripheries of pulleys 32 and 33 adjacent to edges 20 and 21 and is threaded back and around a portion of pulley 35 which acts to hold the cord against the peripheries of the other two.

A course-height gauge 37 depends from the guide element 16. It is shown here as a threaded shank 3S having fixed along its length a wing nut 40 and a locking nut 41 with a disc 42 held between them. By adjustment of the position of nuts 40 and 41 along the length of shank 38, the distance that disc 42 is from element 16 may be regulated and this distance is desirably the height of one course of brick, which includes the thickness of the brick and the thickness of the mortar between it and its next lower course. The course-height gauge 37 is positioned on the guide element 16 so that it will be intersected by, or be very close to being intersected by, an imaginary line between vertex 19 and vertex 22.

As shown here, although it is not absolutely essential, the wall-engaging element 15 has a bubble type level 43 fixed to it. This device is helpful in making initial adjustments.

The device of this invention in use is best shown in FIG. 5. FIG. illustrates in perspective view part of a masonry structure consisting of a foundation 45, an inner wall 46 made of cement blocks or the like and an outer wall 47 made of brick. Ordinarily, in constructing such a wall, a bricklayer must employ a plumb bob and a level to insure that each brick is vertically aligned with each lower brick, that each block is vertically aligned with each lower block, and that each course, whether of block or brick, is horizontal. The verticalness of each wall is generally determined by use of a plumb bob whereby each brick is placed to be the same distance from a string that is held taut by a weight at the bottom. There is a great deal of difficulty in placing the plumb bob, and swinging of such a vertical measuring device causes difficulty and lost time. In laying each course of brick, a bricklayer usually employs a level to insure that each brick is laid at the same level as the other bricks in that course. This too is a time-consuming measuring task and one that must be repeated over and over again.

With the device of this invention, after an initial adjustr'nent is made, further adjustments are unnecessary in that the device rigidly fixes both the vertical alignment of each brick and the horizontal alignment of each course.

As shown in FIG. 5, the vertices 19, 22 and 27 provide three reference points which establish the relative positions of inner Wall blocks 50 and outer wall bricks 48 in vertical alignment with the courses below them. Once the horizontal position of the vertex 27 is established to obtain the proper spacing between inner wall 45 and outer wall 47, that position is fixed by locking means 31. When the first several courses of brick are laid, and when the first several courses of cement blocks are laid, the device of this invention may be adjusted by establishing, as reference points, the positions of vertex 19 and vertex 27 as shown. Since vertex 22 lies exactly vertically above vertex 19, when the next brick is laid in vertex 4 22, it will be plumb with respect to those below it. Using level 43 to establish when these elements are vertically disposed simplifies this adjustment. The course-height gauge 37 may then be adjusted so that the distance be tween the underside of guide element 16 and the underside of disc 42 is the height desired for one course, which includes both brick and mortar.

Thus adjusted, the entire device is positioned on the wall so that disc 42 contacts the upper surface of the uppermost course of bricks thus far laid. The lower wallengaging element 15 embraces a brick in a lower course so that edges 17 and 18 are in contact with the brick and the apex 19 seeks the corner of the brick. Exerting tension on the cord or chalk line 36 causes edges 25 and 26 of the upper wall-engaging element 23 to embrace the sides of uppermost block 59. The tension on cord 36 holds the device firmly against the wall so that it cannot slip, and particularly, the disc 42 overlying brick 48 prevents the device from sliding. Whether tension is applied from either or both sides of cord 36, the force will be evenly distributed because of the anti-friction pulleys 32, 33 and and the balanced forces of the two cord portions along both walls from the corner provide a resultant force exerted diagonally into the corner.

When the cord 36 is in tension and employed with another guide assembled as shown, but on another corner, or is otherwise anchored, it establishes a horizontal reference indicating the height to which the next course of bricks should be laid. When fixed in position as shown, a bricklayer may lay an entire course of bricks along two or more sides of the structure without emplo ing either a level or a plumb bob.

When a course of bricks has been ocmpleted and it is desired to lay the next course of blocks, both the lower engaging element 15 and guide element is will be embracing bricks that are vertically aligned. The locking means 13 may then be released and upper wall-engaging element 23 may be raised vertically to a position above the highest course of blocks. The vertex 27 will then indicate the position that the corner of the next course of blocks must take in order to be plumb with those below it. Thus, the next course of blocks is both plumb with those below it and spaced the proper distance from outer wall 37 when positioned in the reference point that is established by extending vertex 27 vertically.

When the next course of blocks in the inner wall is laid, the locking means 13 is again released and, while holding upper element 23 in place, the assembly including tubular element 11, wall-engaging elements 15 and guide element 16 is raised so that disc 42 just contacts the upper surface of the last course of brick that was laid. In this position, vertices 19 and 2'7 again hold the device so that vertex 22 and cord 36 act to establish the position of the next course of bricks.

If the device of this invention is employed to build a structure consistingof an inner frame structure clad by a spaced outer wall of brick, known as brick veneer, the upper engaging element 23 need never act to establish the position of the inner wall, but only as a reference point to establish position of vertex 22 as the position for the next course of bricks.

The fixed distance between horizontal elements 15 and 15 should be greater than the height of one course of bricks to avoid having a vertex in a mortar joint. It has been found that a spacing of about seven inches between the elements 15 and 16 avoids even widths, or multiples of even widths of all ordinary commercial types of brick and permits vertices 159 and 22 to always embrace a brick rather than a mortar joint during use.

Within the broad scope of this invention there may be many modifications of the various elements to adapt them for specific purposes or otherwise improve their utility. By way of example only, the sliding element 12 may be keyed into element 11 to provide only up and down motion and eliminate rotating motion of the upper wall-en gaging element and its associated parts. The horizontal motion of the upper wall-engaging element 25 may be effected by a threaded adjustment or other known means for adjusting position and the locking means may be spring loaded elements that work cooperatively with slots or holes on a movable element. Also, the ll-shaped slots may work in cooperation with or be replaced with adjustable elements that act as reference points, such as a plurality of threaded elements that are adjustable to embrace a wall to provide a reference point as described hereinabove.

I claim:

1. A masons guide comprising a relatively rigid con necting element, a lower wall-engaging element secured to and extending from said connecting element and terminating in two diverging legs forming between them a V-shaped notch having edges at substantially 90 from each other, a guide element secured to and extending from said connecting element in the same direction as the lower Wall-engaging element, said guide element terminating in two diverging legs forming between them a V-shaped notch having edges at substantially 90 to one another and positioned so that a line connecting the vertices of the 90 angle in said lower and guide elements is parallel with the longitudinal axis of said connecting element, three pulley-like elements mounted on the upper surface of said guide element, one having its periphery adjacent to one edge of said notch, another having its periphery adjacent to the other edge of said notch, and the third being placed between said vertex and said connecting element, a shank extending from said guide element toward said lower element, a gauging element mounted on said shank for movement therealong, telescoping means releasably connected with said connecting element to extend upwardly from and coaxial with said connecting element, means extending angularly from said telescoping means and adjustable in length to extend varying distances therefrom, the last mentioned means terminating in an upper wall-engaging element having two legs forming a V-shaped notch, the edges of which are at substantially 90 to one another, and releasable locking means to hold said telescoping means and said angularly extending means in fixed positions relative to one another.

2. The masons guide of claim 1 further characterized in that said lower wall-engaging element and said guide element are spaced about seven inches apart.

3. The masons guide of claim 1 further characterized in that said pulley-like elements are in substantially coplanar relationship to one another for engagement with the longitudinal mid-region of a chalk line cord during use and when the opposite end regions of said cord extend longitudinally away from the edges of the notch of the guide element.

4. A masons guide comprising, in combination, a pair of wall-engaging elements extending angularly and in substantially parallel relationship to one another from an extensible connecting structure, means for holding the extensible connecting structure at a selected length for determining the spacing between said wall-engaging elements, one of said Wall-engaging elements being of a predetermined fixed length and the other including extensible connected parts and locking means for determining the length thereof, each of said wall-engaging elements having an end remote from the connecting structure which presents a V-type notch having edges in angular relationship to one another for engagement with a structural corner, a guide element secured to said support structure between said Wall-engaging elements and being of a length substantially equal to that of the wall-engaging element of fixed and predetermined length, said guide element also having an end remote from the support structure presenting a V-type notch having edges in angular relationship to one another for engagement with the same structural corner as that engaged by said wallengaging arm of fixed and predetermined length, gauge means on said guide element and extending toward the wall-engaging element of fixed and predetermined length for defining a selected dimension along the structural corner, means on said guide element for engagement with a chalk line cord having portions extending longitudinally of said edges of the guide element and through which forces are exerted for holding the masons guide in place against a structural corner, and said means for engagement with a chalk line cord comprising three pulleys mounted for rotation in substantially coplanar relationship on the guide element withcenters located to define the corners of a triangle and with two or the pulleys having peripheries adjacent said edges of the V-type notch of the guide element and the other of said pulleys having a center on a line which substantially bisects the said V-type notch and spaced toward the connecting structure from said two.

References tilted in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,872,860 Winter Aug. 23, 1932 1,909,267 Golt May 16, 1933 2,832,143 Davis Apr. 29, 1958 2,858,613 Best Nov. 4, 1958 

1. A MASON''S GUIDE COMPRISING A RELATIVELY RIGID CONNECTING ELEMENT, A LOWER WALL-ENGAGING ELEMENT SECURED TO AND EXTENDING FROM SAID CONNECTING ELEMENT AND TERMINATING IN TWO DIVERGING LEGS FORMING BETWEEN THEM A V-SHAPED NOTCH HAVING EDGES AT SUBSTANTIALLY 90* FROM EACH OTHER, A GUIDE ELEMENT SECURED TO AND EXTENDING FROM SAID CONNECTING ELEMENT IN THE SAME DIRECTION AS THE LOWER WALL-ENGAGING ELEMENT, SAID GUIDE ELEMENT TERMINATING IN TWO DIVERGING LEGS FORMING BETWEEN THEM A V-SHAPED NOTCH HAVING EDGES AT SUBSTANTIALLY 90* TO ONE ANOTHER AND POSITIONED SO THAT A LINE CONNECTING THE VERTICES OF THE 90* ANGLE IN SAID LOWER AND GUIDE ELEMENTS IS PARALLEL WITH THE LONGITUDINAL AXIS OF SAID CONNECTING ELEMENT, THREE PULLEY-LIKE ELEMENTS MOUNTED ON THE UPPER SURFACE OF SAID GUIDE ELEMENT, ONE HAVING ITS PERIPHERY ADJACENT TO ONE EDGE OF SAID NOTCH, ANOTHER HAVING ITS PERIPHERY ADJACENT TO THE OTHER EDGE OF SAID NOTCH, AND THE THIRD BEING PLACED BETWEEN SAID VERTEX AND SAID CON- 